State-owned Attiko Metro will complete a shortlist of potential contractors by the end of the year. Short-listed investors will then have to submit technical and financial bids for the project, which will be co-financed by European funds and loans by the European Investment Bank.

Construction of the 13km expansion is expected to begin in 2019 and will be completed within eight years. ($1 = 0.8532 euros) (Reporting by Lefteris Papadimas; Writing by Karolina Tagaris)